Sunlight in Your Universe
by Meredith T. Tasaki
Summary: The sequel to If I Could Change the World is here! (If you've heard of it...) Ash is back home after a full year, but he has to deal with people fainting and _Brock_ getting _married_. Can everything be normal again?
1. Technical Machines

Sunlight in Your Universe

Chapter One: Technical Machines

__

Author's Note: Again, I do not own Pokemon. This is the sequel to another fic of mine, If I Could Change the World. If you haven't read that, I strongly suggest you do, because without reading IICCTW first, you'll get pretty lost... ^^;

Most of you, however, probably know exactly what this is--Ah, my six loyal readers. ^^; Anyway, I'm back, so sit back and enjoy the show! ^^;;

~*~

Most people knew her simply as the Pokemart lady--that dark blue-haired woman behind the counter. Few people noticed that she was always there, the only employee; only the young trainers, determined to finally catch that one elusive Pokemon they'd been trying to catch for years, came often enough to know. Only a few of those knew her name was Elissa.

She sat there all day, in the white-walled room only as big as three cubicles, looking out of the window with only a radio for company. And mainly she watched, learning the mysteries of this young town.

There was one mystery she hadn't figured out yet, though it didn't have much to do with the town. 

And on this October morning, he walked in.

She smiled at the brown-haired man, wondering why he seemed so _mysterious_, like there was some great power around him he was hiding.

If it was true--if there _was_ something-- he hid it quite well. At first glance, he looked perfectly normal--brown hair, blue eyes, a Pikachu always on his shoulder. It was after you met him that he was mysterious.

"Hi!" she said, jerking out of her reverie. "What're you doing here?"

He smiled lopsidedly at her. "What do you think?"

"More TMs?"

"You got it."

She smiled. "Great! You're making me the envy of all the other Pokémarts!"

"They're that good?" He raised his eyebrows as she raised her eyes to the sky.

"They're that good, he asks...I can't keep up with the demand from all of the Pokemarts around the world, the Pokemon are thrilled to learn them, and they're the only thing enabling these trainers to survive, and he asks if they're that good..."

He put his hand to the back of his head. "Eh heh..."

"Well, they are!" she insisted. Humility was all well and good, but dang, man...

He took off his backpack, his Pikachu switching sides. "I have three today, all labeled."

"You really should make me pay for these..."

"But I get an account!! It's much easier that way, I don't have to get the money before I spend it."

She sighed. This guy could be slightly annoying in his eternal Boy Scout attitude, but it was cute...

"Anyway, these are three TMs. One's for Rock-type, one Fire, and the other is Normal, or any Pokemon. This one is--"

The bell on the door rang. 

"Pikapi!" his Pikachu warned.

He turned around quickly and saw the two people talking at the door. "Oh no!"

He ducked into an aisle as the two came up.

Elissa sweatdropped. "Er, hello, welcome to the Pokemart... How can I help you?"

"Hi," the orange-haired woman said. She was wearing a dark blue spaghetti-strap top and denim shorts. "My name is Misty, and this is Brock." She gestured to the older man beside her, who had brown hair, narrow eyes, and was wearing a brown shirt and pants with a green vest.

"Hi," he said.

The man and his Pikachu edged towards the door.

"We're looking for a friend of ours," Misty said.

Elissa raised her eyebrows.

"He's about Misty's age, with black hair, brown eyes--has a Pikachu. Have you seen him?" Brock said.

"Well..." she said, torn. "I know a guy with a Pikachu, about her age, but he doesn't match the rest."

Misty sighed, raising her eyes. "We'll never find that kid..."

As the looked up, she saw the mirrored hemisphere on the ceiling--and more importantly, she saw the reflection of the guy with the Pikachu hiding at the end of the aisle.

"Hey!" she yelled. The man sweatdropped and ran.

The bell on the door chimed as the man rushed out of the store. Misty and Brock quickly ran after him.

Through the glass, Elissa saw Misty and Brock looking up and down the street. They sighed and walked back in.

"How could he just disappear like that?!" Misty yelled.

"Well, what if he was Ash?" Brock asked.

"That wouldn't explain it!!" Misty yelled, and paused. "Oh no, don't you get on to THIS again!"

"If you'd just listen--"

"Come on, Ash was NOT that Pokemon!!"

"How can you be so sure?!"

"AHEM!!" Elissa interrupted.

They sweatdropped. "Sorry."

Brock walked up to the counter, Misty grudgingly following him. "So, who was that guy?"

Elissa grinned. "He's this strange guy who lives somewhere outside of town. Every so often, he'll stop by and sell me Technical Machines, the ones that teach moves. And these moves--they are completely original, and they all kick major butt. They seem to work with the Pokemon's personality, and its loyalty to its trainer."

"Really?" Misty asked.

"Yep! Hold on, let me copy this..." Elissa took out a chip with three wires extending from it out of all of the machines. She took six more out of a box and inserted them into slots on a strange gray cube. She flipped a switch, and the machine hummed. When it died down, she separated the chips and put them all back into their machines.

"I just made some copies of them," she explained. "By company policy, I have to test all of these out. If you'd like to help, I can pretty much guarantee that these won't be lame attacks like Splash."

"Well..." Misty said. "What are they?"

"That's what I still need to find out." She took one of the original machines and read the tag attached to it. "Rock Field, for a rock type."

"What does it do?" Brock asked.

She shook her head, bemused. "You'd never believe me until you saw it..."

"Well... I suppose I could test it..." Brock said.

"You could always make your Pokemon forget it," Elissa said. "That guy gave me a special potion for that. Much easier than having to always go to that shack on Blueberry Mountain...That's what we used to do."

"All right, if my Pokemon agrees." He stepped outside, the others trailing him. "Onix, go!"

Onix roared as it came out. 

"Onix, this woman has a machine that will teach you a move. Do you want to learn it?" Brock asked.

Onix put his head near Elissa. What IS it? I mean, that's kind of nice to know before you get a move etched in your head...

Elissa read the description of the effects to Onix, who nodded. 

"All right, then..." Brock gave him the machine.

"How do we test it?" Misty asked.

As if on cue, a Tauros leaped from the bushes.

"Never mind..."

"Okay, Onix, let's see how this works!" Brock called. "Rock field!"

Onix tunneled underground as they all watched.

The ground started to glow slightly.

"What the..." Brock said.

All around the Tauros, rocks rose up from the ground, all shapes and sizes. They hovered there for a second--then sped towards the Pokemon.

The Tauros was out like a light.

Brock's eyes were as wide as they could be. "Wow."

Elissa nodded. "We have a lot of young trainers in this town who have low-level Pokemon, given to them by their parents or befriended in their youth. Unfortunately, the Pokemon around this town are at a really high level, and the Pokemon don't stand a chance. Because they don't win, the Pokemon can't learn quickly. And all of the trainers who come through are even better than the wild Pokemon. With these new TMs, level doesn't seem to matter very much; it's heart, will, the bond between Pokemon and trainer that determines the power of the attack. And nothing helps strengthen your bond with your Pokemon like continually losing." 

"Wow," Misty said softly. "How does he do it?"

Elissa shook her head. "I don't know."

A few moments passed before they shook off their spell of silence. "So...What are the other ones?" Brock asked.

"Lessee..." she said, looking at another one. "Starfire, for a Fire type. Effects... you _still_ wouldn't believe me."

"Vulpix, go!" Brock called.

"Vulpix, vul!" Free, free, sweet freedom!

"Sorry I haven't been able to let you out as much lately...But how'd you like to learn a new attack?"

"Vulpix, vul vul!" ANYTHING is better than Growl!

"Especially this," Elissa commented. She handed the machine to Vulpix, then kicked one of the bushes alongside the road.

A very large, quite angry Raticade popped out.

"Vulpix, try your new attack!" Brock yelled.

"Vulpix, vul!" She concentrated for a moment. 

The air above the Pokemon turned red, then burned--a wall of fire. It formed into a ball, then a many-pointed star that shot high into the air.

Then suddenly the star fell, with a cometlike trail of fire, towards the Raticade.

When the smoke cleared, Raticade had fainted, and Vulpix was looking quite pleased with herself.

Brock and Misty just stared.

"I told you you wouldn't believe me," Elissa commented.

"And the last one?" Misty said finally.

She checked the label. "For any type, Harmony. Let's see...Whoa, even _I_ don't believe this!!"

"Togetic, go!" Misty called, throwing her Pokeball.

"Toki! Tokitokitokitokitokitokitokitokitokitokitokitoki--"

"Togetic!!"

"Tick?"

Misty sweatdropped. "Want to learn a move?"

"Toki!!! Tokitokitokitokitokitokitoki--"

"HERE IT IS!!" Elissa yelled, tossing the machine at Togetic and hitting a tree with her mallet.

A Scyther emerged from behind the tree, greatly annoyed.

"Togetic! Harmony!" Misty called, worried.

"Toki!" It held its arms up.

Two spheres of energy, one black, one white, formed. "To-ki to-ki to-ki to-ki..."

The air began to sing as Togetic chanted. "To-ki to-ki to-ki--Toki!!"

The lights shone brighter then combined and shot at the Scyther, creating a huge explosion.

Misty, Brock, and Elissa shielded their eyes from the wind, then looked.

The Scyther had fainted.

"Toki!!" Togetic said happily.

None of them said anything for a good five minutes.

Finally, Elissa pulled herself together. "Wow."

~*~

Two figures crouched in the bushes, watching the three people.

"So, they work. Cool," Ash said brightly.

"Pikapi, pikachu pika chaaa," Pikachu said, steering Ash onto the true topic at hand. Ash, you can't run forever...

"I know, Pikachu, I know." He sighed. "But it's pretty much all I can do for now..."

They sat in silence.

~Someday, Ash, this will all work out, I swear to you,~ Pikachu thought. ~And then, things can be NORMAL again...~

~*~


	2. Watashi-tachi ni Naritashite

Sunlight in Your Universe

Chapter Two--Watashi-tachi ni Naritakute 

Author's Note: The title comes from a Sailor Moon song, in case you're wondering. ^^; That's where I learned all my Japanese... Which isn't much... ^^;;; If it's even RIGHT...^^;;;

And by the way, I do not own Pokemon... ^^; But I do own Elissa and Crystal City! Sugoii!! ^^; But borrow 'em if you want. ^^ As if you'd want to...

~*~

Brock and Misty walked into the Pokemon Center.

"Hello!" Nurse Joy said brightly. "Welcome to the Crystal City Pokemon Center! You're new here, so you probably didn't even know we had a name! I'm sure you found that very annoying! Would you like to contribute to the 'Stupid Johto Council Won't Spring For A Sign So We Have To Buy It Ourselves' Fund?"

Misty sweatdropped. "Er...I only have five bucks that isn't in my bank account... Brock? How about you? Brock?" She looked around. "Brock?!"

Then she saw him, glued to the videophone. She sweatdropped. "I suppose since they're engaged I shouldn't smack him with my mallet..."

"Oh, that's Brock?" Joy asked.

"Yeah..."

"Oh, I have a cake for him!!" 

Misty's eyes widened. "Huh?"

Joy was already running over. "Brock, Viridian sent you a cake!!"

Misty sweatdropped. "Ooookkkaaayyy..."

Joy continued to pull packages from nowhere. "And Cerulean sent you an apron, and Saffron sent you a Pokedoll, and Vermillion said they're sponsoring a Pichu in your name, and..."

"Are those nurses desperate or just happy?..." Misty murmured.

"And Cinnabar said Blaine wants to kill you so that's her gift, a warning that Blaine's gonna hire a hit man--apparently he's been coming on to her for years--Professor Oak sent you a copy of his latest paper through Pallet, New Bark sent you a pinecone, apparently she's really jealous..." Joy rattled on.

"It's so much more convenient naming them by town! Why didn't I think of that?" a voice said next to her. 

Misty turned to see the man from the store. "Oh, THERE you are!! Who the heck are you, anyway?!"

"Er, my name's..." 

*Ash searched in his mind for a name, any name. He knew it had been stupid coming here, knowing they already suspected him, but he couldn't resist. Here she was, still chasing after what's-his-name, and he was still chasing her. What a MORON... Not quite thinking these thoughts, he gave the first name that popped into his head.*

"Satoshi." 

*Where on earth had he come up with a name like THAT? And why did it seem like he wasn't lying? Great, he was finally going insane... It figured.*

Misty paused as well, puzzled by the strange familiarity. Had she known someone named Satoshi when she was a kid? That must be it. She shook off the feeling.

"Well, I'm Misty," she said. "Why the heck did you run from me?"

"Er, you looked like someone I knew..."

She looked at him, puzzled, not noticing Joy in the background still handing Brock engagement gifts-- "Olivine says Jasmine's really happy, and they both chipped in to send you a Great Rod..." 

"Why would you run away from someone you knew?" she asked.

"Mmm...Bad memories. You must know what I mean--though maybe not. You don't look like the type for unrequited love." 

*He flinched inwardly. He was being way too honest here. Sooner or later, if this went on, everything might spill, and then where would he be?*

"Morty got his butt whipped in your name, says Ecruteak. She says that's good, he's a jerk..."

"You'd be surprised," Misty laughed. Nice guy, but too familiar. What if--no, there was no way this was Ash, unless you went in for Brock's Mew theory. 

"Well, I'd better get going..." *Definitely, he'd risked enough as it was. Maybe--no, he shouldn't risk it, it was much too dangerous, but...* "I'd like you to have this."

He handed her something and ran.

"What the..." She whispered, and opened her hand. A necklace lay in her hand, a clear, many-pointed pendant on a silver chain--nothing too expensive, but awfully pretty.

Not letting herself think about why, she slipped the chain over her head.

"And Rainbow's giving you a Drowzee and a Pidgeotto, the Drowzee's from her and the Pidgeotto's from a couple of trainers she knows," Joy finished. "Oh yeah, and I got you a fern."

"Er...thank...you..." Brock said, before falling over under the weight of all of the presents. Crystal looked concerned, but Viridian laughed.

"Don't worry, Brock, you don't have to carry them all!" the Joy on the phone said.

Misty walked over. "Isn't it confusing, all of you being named Joy?"

"That's why we call each other by our middle names!" Joy said. "When we become the nurse of a town, we take its name as our middle name."

"Ah," Misty said. 

"What...nice...relatives...you have, Joy..." Brock groaned.

Crystal leaned in front of the videophone and winked. "You be careful vith this one, Viri, he's a keeper!"

"You haven't known him for long..." Viridian laughed. "This guy used to harass the nurses like you wouldn't believe!! 'Hello pretty lady, my name's Brock...'" 

Crystal laughed. "Oh, he's _that_ guy? Jenny's told me stories about some squinty-eyed dude who--"

"It wasn't my fault!!" Brock said.

"Well, he hasn't hit on me, so that's a good sign," Crystal said.

"Nice to know, Chris..."

"Actually," Misty interjected, "He hasn't been bugging Jennies and Joys for a long time. He's a changed man...I think..."

Brock sweatdropped. "I was a juvenile delinquent, okay?!"

"But the records haven't been sealed, Brock," Misty said coyly.

He sighed. "All right, all right, let me just dump this stuff into my pack..."

He walked out into the middle of the Pokemon Center, putting everything onto a bench. The girl talk of Brock's past continued, until Brock called, "Hey, anybody want a fern?"

"HEY!!!" Crystal yelled.

"Just joking!!" he called, and heard Misty say, "Well, anyway, that wasn't the ONLY time. Did you hear about the time he told Jenny we were detectives?"

Brock sweatdropped and concentrated very hard on stuffing a large fern into his bag.

~*~

A brown-haired boy stood plastered to the side outside wall of the Pokemon Center, looking around the corner like a criminal.

A sigh came from behind the chain-link fence splitting the alley in half. Don't tell me, you went in and talked to Misty, then ran like heck.

Ash forced himself to relax, stepped away from the wall, and walked toward the fence. "You guessed it."

Pikachu leapt to the top of the fence. Are you out of your mind, Ash? Either tell them who you are or leave! Personally, I'd prefer the former, but the one thing you CAN'T do is straddle two tracks like this.

"Has it ever occurred to you that there might be a *reason* they say, you can't go home again?" Ash snapped.

Ever heard that there's an album called "All That You Can't Leave Behind"?

"Really? By who?"

That's not the point!! 

Ash sighed. "Yeah, yeah..."

Pikachu tried to calm himself. Look, the point is, you can't run away from them forever. You have people who care about you...

"So I go home and say, Hi Mom!! I'm back after almost three years!! Oh, the tail? It's nothing, just happened when Team Rocket used me in a genetic engineering project. Yeah, the wings too. So, how's Mimey been doing?" Ash asked, half-seriously.

She'd get over it!

"How would *you* like to be a freak?"

You forget, I am.

Ash sighed. "Oh yeah."

All those crazy new TMs you make and you can't even remember you're using them, Pikachu said. I *still* can't figure out how you make those things. But that modified Transform? Sugoii!

"Huh?"

But that modified Transform? Terrific! Pikachu repeated.

"Oh." Ash blinked. 

Look, I know it's hard, but I'll always be with you! Even if Misty marries Darien and they kick you out of the League!

"What a wonderful thought."

Hey, we could always go bug the Legendary Pokemon! I heard Moltres makes these great cookies, and he throws them at trainers or Pokemon to make them leave!

"Freaky..." Ash said. "_Cookies_?"

Apparently. I also heard that Articuno's quite friendly. She's really lonely in that island, and she makes these snow cones to die for...

"So the legendary birds are cooks?" Ash said skeptically.

Hey, I heard it from a very reliable source!

"Like who?"

Mimey! Seeing Ash's face, he added, And Mew! A Mew told me too!

"A Mew?"

Er, well, it was right after we saved the world once, and she was trying to cheer me up, because--er--they burned my first volume of the complete works of William Shakespeare!! Pikachu hurriedly made up.

Ash looked at Pikachu strangely. "You know, sometimes I worry about you..."

Eh heh, okay!!

"Not only do you hate the first volume, that is the most insane excuse I've ever heard..." Ash said.

All right!! Um, I heard the Electabuzz are making a comeback this year!

"And also, there's nothing to cover up..." Ash said.

Huh?

"Think about it, when did *you* remember that?"

When I evolved... Pikachu said. Not quite then, though... It was right after I accidentally learned Psychic...

"Okay, now, think about that..."

Oh yeah! I get it! You remember too!! Pikachu laughed nervously. How silly of me!

Suddenly, Ash started laughing. "Man, you should've seen your face after you blasted that sapling!!"

Hey, I'm supposed to be an electric-type!! I didn't expect that!! Pikachu said, laughing anyway.

"Ha ha, you almost fainted!"

Did not!

"Did too!"

Did not!

"Did too!"

The Crystal City Jenny furrowed her eyebrows while doing her paperwork. "Is that someone in the alley...?"

She left the building and walked into the alley between the police office and the Pokemon Center. Seeing no-one there, she scratched her head and left.

About a mile from the town, Ash and Pikachu leaned against separate trees, with a sigh of relief. 

"That was close!" Ash said after a minute.

Yeah... Pikachu said. 

They were silent for a second.

Did NOT.

"You did too!!"

~*~


	3. Of Hotdogs and Soap Operas

Sunlight in Your Universe

Chapter Three--Of Hotdogs and Soap Operas

AN: In the soap opera scene: Think Ash is exaggerating? He's noo-oot... Yes, they really are that bad. The soap that the summary was based on is real, and you can find its name in Ash's fake title--a tribute to the undead. *shudders* Don't blame me, I don't have a choice but to watch it...Really!

~*~

"This is...extremely pathetic," Brock said, backing further away from the fire.

"Yeah, well, the Johto Council doesn't consider us a town, so we don't get any extra funding," Joy said bitterly. "No trainer accommodations, no gym, bare-bones Pokemart--except for the TMs..." 

"But ROASTING WEENIES?!" Brock said.

"Oh, chill out, Brock," Misty said, pulling her hot dog out of the campfire in the alley. "We used to do this all the time!"

"That was by CHOICE." Brock looked at his hot dog as it burst into flame. "Huh. Interesting."

Misty sighed, taking a bite out of her finished hot dog. "It is not THAT bad! Oh, did you notice your stick's on fire?"

"And the hot dog, too," Brock said.

"...And you're just sitting there, why?" Misty asked.

"I'm just suddenly really not hungry," Brock said as the end of his stick, including the hot dog, turned into ash.

Misty slapped her forehead. "I have been through weird, freaked-out, insane evenings before, but this is the weirdest dang night I've ever seen."

"Yep!" said Joy. "People say it's because of a strange Pokemon seen flitting through the woods! They say it thrives on laughter and insanity!"

"Yeah." Misty sighed. "Let's just skip the stupid marshmallows and go in, ok?"

"But I love roasted marshmallows..." Joy whined.

"Okay, stay out, whatever." Misty dragged Brock in.

"But I like marshmallows too..." Brock whined.

Misty dropped Brock and turned on him. "Brock, what the heck are we doing here?"

Brock lifted his eyebrows. "Looking for Ash."

"Okay, another question: WHY?!" Misty yelled.

"What do you mean by THAT?!"

"You know as well as I do that Ash could not be here!" Misty yelled.

"Yeah? Why not?"

"Because there is NO one anywhere NEAR here that would kidnap him, and there is no way in heaven or earth that he would run away to THIS dump!" Misty yelled.

"Why wouldn't he?" Brock asked.

"... That's not the point!" Misty yelled. "Obviously, wherever he is, even if he IS out there somewhere, he doesn't want to be found!!" 

"He will eventually!" Brock said, exasperated.

Misty leaned forward. "You know Ash as well as I do, that kid will NEVER change his mind."

"But he will!"

"We don't even have any reason to believe he's in Johto!"

"What about that guy Jasmine kept talking about? The one who healed the Pokemon in her lighthouse and had about a jillion badges?" Brock asked.

"Brock, that dude had WHITE HAIR," Misty said. "Ash does NOT have white hair, did you ever notice that? And he could NEVER dye it white and have no one notice! You can tell those kinds of things!"

"I never said he dyed it."

"...Brock, you are nearing the edge of insanity."

"Why won't you believe me?!" Brock yelled. "Why do you refuse to believe that that Pokemon might have been Ash?"

"Brock, have you LISTENED to yourself?!" Misty said. "You're saying that Ash was captured by Team Rocket and turned into a hybrid Mew!"

"It's possible!" 

Misty just laughed. "Brock, does Joy know you've gone insane?"

"By your standard of insanity, yes."

"And she's still marrying you?"

"Yes."

"I can't believe she wouldn't say you were insane and shove you in a hospital!! Unless--" Misty stopped. "She BELIEVES you?!"

"Actually, she does."

Misty moaned. "I can't believe this. You've BOTH gone insane."

"Maybe it's YOU."

"What?!" 

"If you're still going to marry Darien, maybe you ARE insane," Brock said, making his stand.

"Why, may I ask, is marrying Darien insane?" said Misty coldly.

"It'll never work."

"What do you mean by that?!"

"You don't love him, and he's using you. You ever wondered where he got all that money? Ask the Joy network. They'll tell you better stories than you'll see in a soap opera."

Misty's jaw dropped. "Brock!! Are you accusing Darien of scamming me?!"

"He'll visit the gym soon enough. Cereulean isn't that prosperous, and you have only a fourth of the gym's proceeds. Also, it's been too long. I'd say it'll be soon, and the sooner the better. Then maybe we can end all this..."

"That's not true!"

"Yes it is, and I don't see why you're so angry! In the end, what would you lose?!"

Misty looked up at him, tears actually in her eyes "Brock, why are you SAYING this?"

"Because I actually care what happens to you!!" he yelled.

__

In the room they had been given at the Pokemon League, Misty controlled her tears and continued to pack.

The sound of a door closing told her that Ash had slipped out of the awards ceremony earlier than she'd thought he would. She permitted herself an "Aw, MAN..." before trying to defend what she was trying to dissuade herself from herself.

"Misty? Ash asked, hearing her voice, but not what she said. He opened the door. "Misty, are you _packing_? We aren't leaving _yet_-- if we _are_ leaving, that is..." He bit his lip, wondering about the details that had been postponed until tomorrow.

__

"My sisters called," she said, businesslike. "They need some help at the gym."

"What _kind_ of help? Extra battler? New Gym Leader? Fixing the windows?" he asked cautiously.

She sighed. "Ash, my sisters couldn't do paperwork if the gym depended on it, which it does. One of their junior trainers did it, but she quit, and now, _somebody_ has to do it."

"So, they need your help hiring someone?" 

"NO! Ash, they want ME to do it!" she said, wondering if Ash was that dense on purpose.

"What?! That's the biggest load of--"

"Ash, they _need_ me," Misty said, trying to believe it.

"So why the heck don't they HIRE someone?!"

"If they do that, says Lily, they won't be able to afford new swimsuits this year."

"Then they can use the old ones!"

They heard the door open again. "Hey Ash, everyone's looking for you at the party, including this bunch of really hot girls!"

"I noticed! That's why I'm here!"

Brock walked in, shaking his head. "Someday, Ash, someday... Hey, Misty, are you _packing_?"

"Um, yeah..."

"Her sisters called and they want her to come back to be their accountant," Ash summarized.

"...Ok, so why are you packing?"

"I can't just leave them in the lurch!"

"Why not? They can HIRE a new accountant!" Ash paused a moment, trying to figure out how best to say what he was thinking. "I--we--Indigo Plateau could NEVER replace YOU!"

"Ash, why are you trying to stop me?" she asked.

"Because I actually CARE what HAPPENS to you! Your sisters will sell you into slavery if you go over there!" Ash bit his lip, knowing that Brock was looking at him and hoping he hadn't lynched himself.

There was slurred laughter from Ash's backpack.

"Oh good, he's awake!" Ash said, pulling off his backpack and opening the flap. "Pikachu, listen carefully," he said as he lifted Pikachu out; "Who spiked the punch?"

"Pika... Pi-hee-hee-hee-hee..." Pikachu said, before passing out.

Ash moaned, then put Pikachu in his sleeping bag. "I am going to KILL that Lance dude... Once he wakes up, that is..." He noticed Brock and Misty staring at him and coughed.

"Ash, I can't just _go to that phone_ and _tell my sisters to buzz off_," Misty said.

"Why not?!" Ash said, swirling around.

"_Ash_, did you hear me? I said, I can't just GO TO THE PHONE and TELL MY SISTERS to BUZZ OFF." She stared at him indecipherably.

"Oh yeah!" Ash said, getting it. He walked to the phone and whispered something to Brock, who laughed and turned out the lights.

Ash dialed a number and took off his hat as Brock dragged a tall light behind him. He turned it on so it acted like a dim spotlight as the sisters picked up.

"Like, hello?"

Ash deepened his voice. "Hello, sisters--though perhaps I shouldn't call you that. You most certaintly are NOT nuns." He laughed darkly.

All three sisters were on the screen looking at Ash, who was trying to make himself look bigger while making sure his face stayed in shadow.

"Like, who ARE you? And why are you calling? And most of all, why are you INSULTING us?!"

"Why am I insulting you? Oh, because you make it just too easy," Ash said, laughing a little."Who am I? That is of little importance. Why I am calling...That is the only worthy question you have asked."

"Like, he must be the leader of Team Rocket!" Violet whispered.

"Yes! You have guessed it," Ash said, sounding darkly pompous. "I am, in fact, the leader of Team Rocket."

"Look, we'll pay you back, we swear!!"

Everyone stared at the screen.

Ash came out of it first. "Of course you shall. Team Rocket does not let its debts go unpaid for long..." he trailed off ominously. "But that is not the matter at hand."

"Huh? Like, what is it then?"

"I believe you have a sister?" He gestured to the side. Brock turned on another lamp, shining a spotlight on Misty, who was gagged and doing her best to pretend to be bound.

"Like, Misty!!" the sisters yelled.

"Yes, I have captured Misty!!" Ash roared in evil delight.

Misty made several sounds through her gag that sounded very rude.

Ash turned around. "Shut-up. Shut up."

Misty mumbled something that sounded vaguely like, "Make me, moron!"

"Shut up! Jeeze!" Ash said, then quickly sat back down and coughed, resuming his deep voice. "So you see why I have called you."

"Um, actually, like no..."

Ash sweatdropped. "I have your sister in my evil grasp! Are you not concerned?!"

"Like, no! 'Cept we'll have to hire a secretary... Darn."

"Are you her SISTERS?!" Ash yelled, losing the deep voice again.

Brock had to hold Misty's hands behind her to keep her from giving her sisters the finger.

"Like, you won't hurt her or anything. We'd kick your butt. And her boyfriend?" Daisy laughed. "He's the new Master. He could kick your butt all over the floor. And also she's adopted."

Ash sweatdropped. "I was not aware that she had a boyfriend, or that she was adopted."

"Well, you haven't seen her and this twerp. Man, it's so funny! They have no clue!" She laughed. 

"And the adopted thing?"

"That was a joke, sort of... We told her she was adopted once, and she totally blew up... And also, we treat her like Cinderella, so we figured, what the heck, it sums up our relationship. Hey, like maybe she IS adopted! I'll like have to find out some day!"

Ash sweatdropped again. "You are truly the most imbecilic creatures I have ever seen..."

"Thanks!"

Ash sighed. "I suppose that shall be all. Good-bye, sisters."

"I swear we'll pay you!" Daisy called.

Ash sweatdropped yet again and hung up the phone.

Misty ripped the fake gag out of her mouth. "GAAH! My sisters are not only the devil's stupid girlfriends incarnate, they're in debt to TEAM ROCKET!"

Ash was about to say something when a group of fangirls threw open the door and rushed in.

Chaos ensued, and it would be a long time before Misty's sisters were ever mentioned again.

Misty sighed. "Good night Brock, we'll talk about it later."

Brock sighed as she walked out. Sooner or later....

Hopefully sooner.

~*~

"No."

Yes.

"NO."

YES!

"NO!!!"

YESSSSS! Yes yes yes! Come ON Ash, I won fair and square! Pikachu said.

"You didn't tell me WHAT you'd win!" Ash yelled.

Yeah I did!

"In Japanese?! THAT DOESN'T COUNT!"

Yeah it does! You said you would go to your Mom's if I won, and that's that!

"I didn't know what I was saying!"

Oh, puh-leaze....

"Look, just because you won at rock-paper-scissors--"

And Jump Rope, and Poker, and Old Maid, and Crazy Eights, and--

"--doesn't mean you can make me go to Mom's house--"

Like you know you want to--

"--and give her a heart attack!" Ash finished.

Oh come on. What's the worst that could happen? Pikachu asked.

"Let's see... I could accidentally kill my mom, then get captured by Professor Oak, and sent for testing to New Island, which would then be taken over by Giovanni, and then blasted by Mewtwo in further revenge--"

Like THAT could happen!

"You're right, it's as likely as seeing a Pikachu with wings! What WAS I thinking?" Ash said sarcastically.

Funny.

"Come on, Pikachu, nothing is impossible anymore." 

They blinked as they saw the scenery change abruptly, from forest to a field by the foot of a mountain.

Oh yeah. Sorry, I forgot.

"No problem." 

Ash yelped as he was tackled by several Pokemon from behind. "What the--"

It's that guy! a Venusaur said.

Yeah, the moron! roared a Charizard.

I don't think it's nice to call him a moron, I mean think about it... said a Blastoise.

"Oh yeah," Ash said. "But if you're here, and we're here, that must mean--"

"Lugia, stop following me, I'm busy!" a familiar deep voice yelled from somewhere inside the cave in the mountain.

"You owe me six dollars. I am not leaving until you pay me back." said another voice.

"Oh yeah, and where am I supposed to get six dollars?!" Mewtwo yelled.

"Beat a trainer?" Lugia suggested.

"Just bill me later, all right? I know where you live--when you aren't here freeloading."

Ash raised his eyebrows. "Lugia freeloading. I never would've guessed it."

He seemed all business when we met him...But Mewtwo's probably exaggerating, Pikachu commented.

"Wouldn't be surprised."

"Okay, okay, I shall leave," Lugia said.

Mewtwo walked out of the cave. "Ah, hello, puny mortal--"

Mew flitted out and bopped him on the head.

"Er, sorry. Hello, Ash Ketchum. I suppose you are wondering who I am." Mewtwo said.

"Nope," Ash said.

Mewtwo blinked several times. "I suppose you are merely not curious...yes, that must be it... I am Mewtwo, a one-of-a-kind Pokemon created from the DNA of a Mew by scientists on--"

Ash moved his hand in a 'move-it-along' gesture. "New Island, then you escaped and blew them up, and called up a huge storm and invited trainers to come there, and then cloned their Pokemon and wreaked havoc, and then got in a fight with a Mew, and--"

Oh yeah, I still have to KILL him for that! Pikachu said, restraining his pain at the memory.

"But--how could you know?" Mewtwo asked. "I wiped your memories..."

Ash! Pikachu said. He doesn't know! I can't believe it! He calls himself the most powerful Pokemon on earth, and he doesn't know!

Ash laughed. "Cool! Maybe now he'll stop calling people puny mortals!"

"I don't know _what_?" Mewtwo asked.

Mew laughed and winked at them, flitting around with its perpetual giggle.

Mewtwo stared as Ash started glowing, then changed from his old form to Mew.

Pikachu let his transformation go too, for effect.

Mewtwo continued staring for a second. "You're a--?"

Yep! Ash said.

He stared for a few more seconds before he fainted.

~

See Pikachu, I _told_ you! There is no way I can go to Mom's house, she'd have a heart attack or at least faint! Ash said as Mew doggedly continued to Water Gun Mewtwo.

Maybe not!

Oh, please... Ash sighed.

Ash, just think about it. You know you want to see her. Think it over.

Fine, fine... 

"...Wha...?" Mewtwo said drowsily. "Mew, you didn't SAY eggnog had alcohol in it..."

Mew whacked him upside the head. Wake up, you big pussycat, and I STILL say the Christmas fiasco was your fault!

"Was not..." Mewtwo said, then opened his eyes. "Oh yeah...AUGGH! It wasn't a dream!"

Oh, get over it, Ash said.

You're just jealous 'cos you didn't know everything, Pikachu said.

Mewtwo reagained some composure. "I suppose you are right. I don't see how I could have overlooked it...I guess I did. But Ash, how in the world did that happen?"

Ash sighed. It's a loooong story...

"I would still like to hear it."

It's not like we don't have time, Pikachu said unhelpfully.

Fine, Ash said, sitting down, then called out sarcastically, Come one, come all! It's time for "The Guiding Light was Smashed", sponsored by Bubbles soap, the soap of champions! When we last left our heroes, Ash had left New Island, Mew and Mewtwo had run to a peaceful valley in the middle of nowhere, Harley had delivered her baby with the help of a formerly evil FBI agent, Danny and Michelle were stealing money to get out of the mob, Carmen had come back from the presumed-dead, and Reba had gone back in time through a painting to save a person who looked like her ex-husband, but they both were locked in jail! 

Funny, Ash. Very funny. Pikachu rolled his eyes.

Ash settled down, seriously this time. "All right, it happened like this......"

~*~


	4. In Which There is an Excessive Amount of...

Sunlight in Your Universe

Chapter Four: In Which There is Excessive Fainting

~

"So, what happens next in the soap opera?" Mewtwo asked, breaking the respectful silence that had followed Ash's tale.

Oh, Reba and Josh are getting back together again, and Gus's quitting the FBI, and 'Beth' and Edmund are getting divorced-- Mew broke off as she noticed the stares. What?

"...I meant, what are you going to do next, Ash?" Mewtwo said.

Oh, I thought you'd finally figured it out...

"Figured _what_ out?"

The reason I get all that mail is because I'm the head writer of a soap opera!

Everyone blinked.

You know, 'Saving Grace'?

Oh, my mom watches that! Ash said. It drives me up the wall!

Why, thank you! Mew chirped.

Yeah, I saw it once, Pikachu said. I thought, WHAT saving grace? These people are about as screwed up as you get!

Oh, thank you very much! Mew giggled, blushing. I didn't know I was that good!

There was silence for a few seconds.

"So, what are you going to do now, Ash?" Mewtwo asked.

Er...

He's going to visit his mom, Pikachu said firmly.

But--

No buts, Ash, it's high time she knew you weren't dead!

Oh, she probably _does_ think that, doesn't she... Ash sweatdropped.

You got it.

Well...

"Really, Ash, how much harm can it do?" Mewtwo asked.

Ash just started laughing.

Ash! Pikachu yelled. It. Will. Be. Fine. Let's GO!

~

Serena walked hesitantly up to the door.

Come on, Pidgeot urged. Just tell her. She must want to know about you.

What's going on again? the baby Articuno hidden under her hair chirped.

Her mother, Arti-chan, her mother.

Oh yeah!

She knocked.

"Hello!" Mrs. Ketchum chirped. "Welcome! Oh, you aren't selling ceiling fans, are you? Because I already bought twelve this week..."

Serena sweatdropped. "Uh, no..."

"Well, come in then!" Mrs. Ketchum led her to an armchair. "Would you like a snack?" she asked as she put a large tray with cookies, an apple, peanut butter crackers, and a cup of tea on her lap.

"Er, sure..." 

See? Pidgeot chirped. I told you she'd be nice!

"Oh, would your Pokemon like something?" Mrs. Ketchum asked, already taking out snacks. "Here's something for your Pidgeot. She's so cute! Does she have a name?"

"Well..." Serena said. "Actually, I like to call her Diana..."

"Oh, that's such a nice name!" she exclaimed, stroking its head-feathers. "Do you have any other Pokemon?"

"Just one..." At that, the young Articuno disentangled itself from her hair and chirped a bright Hi! 

"Oh my, you have the most gorgeous Pokemon!" Mrs. Ketchum beamed, hands clasped. "Does she have a name?"

~How does she know they're both shes?~ Serena asked herself rhetorically before answering, "Well, we call her Arti-chan sometimes..."

"How sweet!" Mrs. Ketchum cried. "Here, have some more cookies, dear... What is your name, anyway? I'm afraid I forgot to ask!"

"Um, Serena," she said.

"Really..." Mrs. Ketchum sighed, becoming gloomy for the first time since Serena had seen her. "I had a daughter named that..."

"Well, that's sort of why I'm here," Serena explained. "You see... I think I _am_ your daughter."

She stood unmoving for a few seconds.

"It's really nice to meet you," Serena tried.

Mrs. Ketchum fainted.

~

"I am going to regret this," Ash said, as he walked towards the sliding glass door. "I am seriously going to regret this. For the rest of my life I am gonna regret this. Always and forever--"

Ash. Just open the door.

Ash pushed the glass door open. 

"Hello?" he called, walking into the living room.

Kneeling on the floor, waving a makeshift fan over Mrs. Ketchum's face, was Serena.

"Gah!" she yelped. "I didn't mean to, I swear! I just told her who I was and bam, she fainted!"

Ash turned to Pikachu. "SEE?"

What does she mean, she told her who she was? Who is she? Pikachu asked.

"This is Serena, she's my long-lost sister," Ash explained.

"Wait a sec... You're my _brother_?! Holy--" She fainted.

"SEEEEE?!" Ash yelled. "Everyone's fainting!"

Well, wake 'em up!

Ash sighed. "This is so much more trouble than it's worth..."

As if.

"Pikachu, Thundershock!"

Why do _I_ haveta do it?! Pikachu griped.

"In case someone's watching!"

Puh-leaze... he said, then grudgingly delivered the shock.

"AAH!" the two women yelled, bolting upright. 

"What the..." Serena said. "Oooh boy."

Diana, unnoticed until then, cocked her head. This is getting interesting.

Yep! Arti-chan chirped.

Pikachu blinked. All right, this _is_ more than we bargained for, but still, it can't get worse.

"ASH!" Mrs. Ketchum yelled, running towards him and engulfing him in a huge hug. "Is it really you?!"

Ash smiled. "Yeah, Mom."

"Well wherever you've been, you'd better have been wearing clean underwear!" she teased, letting him go.

"Aw, Mom..." Ash said, putting his hand behind his head.

Serena was deep in thought. "Why do I feel like I've met him before?" she mused aloud.

"He is your brother, you know, if you really--are--my Serena," Mrs. Ketchum said.

"No..." she said. "More recent than that..."

"Um..." Ash said. "Actually, you _have_ met me recently..."

She stared at him. "I've never seen you before..."

"It was about a year or so ago..." he said. "Er, in the Team Rocket complex... And I, er, looked a bit different..."

"Looked different, how?" Serena asked, as Mrs. Ketchum gasped, "You were in Team Rocket?!!?"

"Well..." He sweatdropped. "This is gonna be a bit of a shock..."

He changed back. Immediately, the two women fell in a faint...again.

Auggh! Ash yelled, then whipped around to face Pikachu. SEEEEEE?!

Honestly, Ash, it can't get much worse, Pikachu said nervously.

Diana heard a noise she recognized and chuckled. Arti-chan, bring that tray over here. This is going to be fun.

Ash had just time to ask, What do you mean? before there was a knock on the door.

"Hello?" Tracey's voice came faintly.

"Tracey, don't be a wuss," came Gary's voice.

Oh boy, Ash whispered as the door opened.

"Mrs. Ketchum?!" Gary yelled, turning his head. "Yo, we came with the--"

He stopped as they came into the living room. Mrs. Ketchum, as well as some chick with her hair done up like Nurse Joy's, lay fainted on the floor. A Pidgeot and a tiny Articuno sat by the table, eating snacks and grinning. And floating near the back of the room was a--

"HOLY COW!" Tracey yelled, jumping onto the table. "I've got to sketch THIS! A mutant Mew!"

~Oh gee, I'm so flattered,~ Ash thought to them sarcastically.

Tracey turned around slowly. "Did you..."

"Hear that..." Gary continued.

"It sounded like..."

"ASH?!!?" they both yelled, and fainted.

Pikachu nervously glanced up at Ash, who was shaking with repressed anger. Um, well, it really wasn't _that_ bad, was it?

Ash took a few shuddering, deep breaths. If I did not have four fainted people on my hands, I would kill you right now.

Eh heh...

Arti-chan laughed. That was fun!

Yeah, I'd pay eight bucks to see that anytime! Diana chuckled.

Suddenly they noticed the two death-glares aimed at them. They cocked their heads at the two strange Pokemon and grinned.

Ash finally just sighed. Remind me to kill everyone for this, Pikachu.

I...think I'll forget, thanks...

~

"So you're a soap opera writer," Mewtwo said dubiously.

Yeah, I _said_ that already, she chirped.

"That... is slightly disturbing," he said, shaking his head.

Hey! Soap scriptwriting is a very honorable profession!

Mewtwo glanced at the television in the corner.

"Oh Sam!" a woman cried. "You're awake at last!"

"What...happened...?" gasped the teenager in the bed.

"Oh, you got an exotic disease form the smuggled goods in that warehouse you were investigating," she explained. "Now come on! You have to help me beat back Alan! Now that Josh--sniff--is divorcing me, and to top it off getting back together with that crazy so-and-so Grace, he's all over me!"

"Okay...sis..." the man gasped out.

"Yeaaaaaaaaah..." Mewtwo said. "Honorable... definitely..."

Really, Ash's exaggerating. His life isn't like a soap opera. Only 'Yearnings' would stoop to _that_ level of weirdness. But it's strange...

"What's strange?"

Everything he's described... I saw it in my dreams.

"What?!"

I kept having dreams about what might've happened to Ash, and apparently they were all right! I even had a dream about our little conversation today last night.

Mewtwo blinked. "I dunno...We need to see if this is true."

I only see trivial things though, and I can't tell what--

"Sleep, Mew."

Okies.

Mewtwo sighed deeply as Mew slipped easily into a doze. Using two mirrors, he gazed into her dream and the real world. 

The dream settled onto the Pokemon Center in Rainbow Town.

Misty, reflected in both mirrors, sat on the bench, heaving a sigh. She couldn't help wondering--where _was_ Ash? Was he all right? Was he in danger?

She conceded one small defeat. Fine, she was worried about him. Boy had a knack for trouble. And she'd followed him around for years! He--she gave in again--was her best friend, along with Pikachu and Brock. Of course she was worried! It was nothing to--she winced--worry about.

But there WAS something she SHOULD be worrying over. What if...what if Brock was right?

About what? she asked herself sardonically. He has an awful lot of things to be right about. And even though he sounds crazy...He always has been right before.

Brock burst into the room, breaking her out of her reverie. "I'm getting married!" he cried.

"Not exactly breaking news," she commented wryly. 

"No, I mean it! I'm getting married! In two more weeks! Joy just called and asked where we should have it, I told her we'd fly to Viridian!"

"Really?!" Misty grabbed his hands. "Oh Brock, I'm so happy for you!!"

"Finally!" Brock cried, dancing around for joy. "I'm actually going to get _married_! To a _woman_! To a sweet, gorgeous, kind, emphatic--"

Misty grinned, shaking her head. "You are a piece of work," she murmured.

And the ceremony... Joy had wanted to give her a bridesmaid position, but she'd declined, wanting to leave the space open. Best for them to have as few of Joy's relatives mad at them as possible. Instead, she'd happily helped with decorating advice, catering... Along with fifty other women.

She sighed happily. Weddings were so romantic. Of COURSE, she chided herself, that was the point! She glided into a dream. She wore the dress she'd always dreamed of; short-sleeved, lacy, tinted just slightly light blue. Everyone was grinning from the pews; her sisters and Joy flashed her a thumbs-up as they waited for her to reach the end. And then she was there; she turned, and smiled dreamily at--

She shook herself out of the dream quickly, but it was too late. She stared up at the ceiling, half confused, half admitting to defeat for the third time that day.

Yes, why deny it. She'd seen him, Pikachu at his side as always--clutching the wedding bands. It was hopeless, hopeless.

But why? She loved Darien... She loved Darien... Dangit, she loved Darien! Or...no!

She continued to stare, consumed with confusion.

Mewtwo shook his head. He'd been a little too absorbed in that. Now what... Ah yes.

He opened a bag of chocolate chip cookies and held one up to Mew's nose.

"Ah, cookies!" Joy chirped in the dream mirror. "So tasty and delicious! Even part of a complete breakfast if you eat several grapefruits!"

Brock and Misty stared at her oddly.

"Eh heh..."

Mewtwo glanced at the other mirror. Joy looked at the hopelessly lost Misty and sighed deeply. As Brock ran around like a Weedle with its head cut off, she grabbed a cup of tea and a plastic box of large chocolate chip cookies. She took a pillow from the sofa and plopped down on the fluffiest armchair to muse on the mysteries of love.

Mewtwo nodded. That was all he needed to know. With a flick of his hand, the mirrors vanished. He looked longingly into the space where they had been.

His head moved slightly and he held up the bag of cookies he was holding. With a surprisingly large smile, he floated out of the room.

~

See what you've gotten me into? Ash griped as he tried to wake up the four.

Okay, so it _was_ more trouble than I thought. Or could ever imagine. But it'll be worth it! You wanna spend the rest of your life in hiding?

Not particularly.

Good.

Gary made a faint noise as he sat up. "What the... odd dream... Ack!"

Oak, if ANY of you faint ONE MORE TIME, the world will never be the same.

"Hey, you've gotten better at your threats! Cool!" Gary grinned.

Mrs. Ketchum and Serena woke up at the same time.

"All right, Ash... I think I can handle this..." Mrs. Ketchum said, in a slight daze. "As long as you don't have any children who look like Mr. Mime and are Elvis impersonators in Celadon..."

"I can say the same thing..." Serena said.

No, that's about all the unreasonably huge shocks for today, Ash replied.

"Whoa, I gotta sketch this!"

TRACEY!

"C'mon, Ash! This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience!" Tracey whined.

Ash switched forms again. "Can't you wait?!"

"No..."

Yes you can, Pikachu said.

"Oh, by the way, who's the broad?" Gary asked.

"Why you--!"

"Ow!" Gary cried as he was smacked with a frying pan.

"My sister..." Ash said.

"Boy, this is worse than 'Saving Grace'," Gary commented.

"You seen that too?"

"Yeah, your mom makes me come over every day to watch it..." He made a face. "I'd like to beat up the moron that writes it..."

Ash giggled. "I think she'd beat up you."

"You know her?" 

"Yeah..."

"Really, this is a lot for one day," Gary said. "You're a Mew, you have a sister, I'm adopted--"

"What?!" Ash yelped.

"Hate to lay another on everyone, but Gramps told me today that Dad and his second wife decided to adopt, and that's me," Gary said, an eyebrow raised.

Ash fell to his knees. "OH THANK YOU, GOD!" he cried to heaven.

"Huh?" Gary said, confused.

"I'll...explain to you later," Mrs. Ketchum said. "Right now, I have just one question..."

"WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED?!" everyone but Ash and the Pokemon yelled.

"Um... Mom, you have to start," Ash said.

"Why?"

"The whole Dad thing... You're the only one who has _any_ idea what's going on there..."

"You know as much as I do. You can tell us the whole story," she protested.

"No, I can't. I need you guys to help. I don't know _all_ of it... Just _most_ of it," explained Ash.

"Fine," she sighed, then brightened to normal. "Once upon a time, I married a moron whose genes were apparently all recessive... He took my daughter with him when he left... Heaven knows how many wives he's had... Another one adopted a son with him... Apparently you, Gary."

"WHAT?!!!" he screamed.

"Do NOT faint," Ash said urgently. "Do NOT!"

"And Serena, you were..."

"Taken to Team Rocket, where I was a nurse until a powerful Pokemon was released and gave me the opportunity to escape with Diana and Arti-chan here. I freed as many Pokemon as I could, and eventually I found you."

"I was that Pokemon," Ash sighed. "Team Rocket was trying to steal Pikachu, but he wasn't with me that night so they took me instead. Some really strange scientist got a hold of me as a test subject and changed me to a Dratini/Mew hybrid... Though I didn't know about the Mew part at first. I made friends with a Diglett... And--" He glanced at his mom. "And I couldn't get out, but it was okay. We trained in a--meadow place, filled with happy duckies and bunnies..."

Only Mrs. Ketchum and Tracey were fooled. Serena had seen it for herself, and Gary wasn't that stupid.

"And then they made me fight against my friends, and I escaped, but I was afraid of what you'd think if I came back like this," Ash explained. "Also, they _were_ searching for me for a while. I had to stay in hiding..."

Tracey nodded sagely. "It's all perfectly clear. I'll understand it exactly... In two weeks."

Ash sweatdropped. "I know, it is kind of a lot to take."

"Well, Ash, Serena, you can stay here for as long as you want," Mrs. Ketchum said brightly. "In fact, why don't you all stay tonight!"

"I'm sorry, there's an experiment at the lab I have to help with," Tracey said.

"I'll stay," Ash said.

"Me too," Gary followed.

"And I."

"Oh, wonderful!" Mrs. Ketchum beamed, clapping her hands together. "I'll just go make some food!!"

Serena looked at Ash oddly. Her obvious message was, 'Is she _always_ like this?'

Ash nodded.

She grinned. Diana and Arti-chan in the corner smiled with her. Finally...

Home.

~*~

AN: It took a while, but at least it's long! ^^ And BTW, 'Saving Grace' is based on an actual soap opera. My mom watches it all the time. All the plot lines are real, though that dialogue was grossly exaggerated. ^^ 

I really hope this chapter is good! I know that there are actually people out there _waiting_ for it, and I hope it's not a disappointment. But _I_ liked it... ^^; Okay, so I think it's really funny. Please feel free to tell me if I'm right! ^_^

And for those waiting few, I hate to plug, but you might want to see my website at http://www.angelfire.com/anime3/concerningflight . There you'll be able to find information on upcoming chapters, a poll, and other neat non-IICCTW-related stuff. ^^; Eh heh. Thanks for reading!

~Meredith


	5. Tact and Hidden Facets

Sunlight in Your Universe

Chapter Five: Tact and Hidden Facets

AN: You may have noticed I called Crystal Town Rainbow Town last chapter... Sorry, it can be hard to keep up with all this. ^^;;;; 

And I don't own the song "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia"; I just alluded that there's a Kanto version of it. (Anyone who doesn't know, the song is about a guy accidentally framed for murdering, oh, somebody. ^^; Turns out his little sister did it and couldn't stop them from hanging him... I wonder who that kid reminds me of?... *grins evilly*)

Thank you, everyone; Have fun!

~*~

"Tokitokitokitoki--"

"Misty, is there _any_ way to get him to stop doing that?!"

"I don't think so," she sighed. "Heaven knows I've tried."

"Toki?"

"Togetic, settle down! Please! Now guess what we're doing?"

"Tokitokitick?" Talking to each other?

"Besides that, Togetic, besides that."

"Tokitoki?" Living?

"Besides that too."

"Toki-tick?" Breathing?

"No! Togetic, we're going to fly to Viridian City!"

"Tokiiiii! Toki-toki!!" No fair! You asked what we '_are_ doing'!

"Well, Togetic, I meant what we are _about_ to do. I apologize for any inconvenience..." She attempted to keep the sarcasm out of her voice--though Togetic probably wouldn't've noticed anyway.

"Toki!"

"Now, do you remember that move that makes you get really big?"

"Ki..." No...

Brock fanned Misty, taking over the line of questioning before she did something she'd regret. "It was called 'Fly', Togetic. Do you remember it?"

"Tokidoki." Sometimes.

Brock blinked. Had he heard 'doki'?... "Do you remember it now?"

"Ki..." No...

"Great!" Misty yelled. "NOW how are we going to get to Viridian?!"

"JAMES! You get off that bird THIS INSTANT! Do you hear me?!"

"You should've captured a Pidgey of your own, Jessie!"

"Nyaaa!"

Misty's eyes widened. "Are they who I think they are?"

"If...you...don't stop flying so fast...right now..." 

"We're almost _there_."

The Pidgeotto soared down, right in front of Misty and Brock. Jessie, of former Team Rocket fame, came panting up and used her momentum to knock James off Pidgeotto with a frying pan.

"You could've let me on!!"

"Ow...Next time...I think I will..." James said dizzily.

"...Should've prepared for trouble," Misty commented.

"And made it double," Brock followed.

"Oh, it's the twerp's friends! How's he been doing anyway?" Meowth asked.

"He ran off," Brock said. In an offhand tone he added, "Did you know Misty has a boyfriend?"

Jessie and Meowth 'aah'ed in comprehension. James said, "No. How nice!"

Jessie whacked him with her paper fan.

"What did I do?!"

"Nothing, James, nothing..." She rolled her eyes.

"I'm getting married!" Brock blurted out.

"Ooooh!" James cried. 

"Really?! Where?!" Jessie exclaimed, surprisingly starry-eyed. "I mean _when_?"

"Viridian City, about a week," Brock said. "Trouble is, Togetic can't remember how to Fly..."

"...He _forgot_ a move?" Meowth asked.

"Toki toki priiiiii!" No, I remember it sometimes!

"I had no idea dat was possible," Meowth said.

"Neither did I," Misty said with a huge sigh.

"Toki?"

"Nothing, Togetic..."

As suddenly as Brock had mentioned the wedding, he was on his knees. "Can you _please_ fly us there? PLEASE?! I'm begging you!! This is my one and only chance!"

"She'd _forgive_ you, Brock," Misty said, annoyed. 

"_Me_?"

"Well...You might have a point..."

"Miiiissstttyyy!"

"We'll take you, if we can come too!" James chirped.

"OH THANK YOU!" Brock yelled, falling to his knees and kissing James' feet.

Misty just put a hand to her temple and sighed.

~*~

Mewtwo put a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

"Oh, Phillip, please! No one has to know that I'm not Beth!" cried the woman on the television screen.

"She isn't?" Mewtwo asked.

Actually, she _is_ Beth, but she doesn't know it. Her name's Lorelei. Mew smiled.

"And you haven't been sued?!"

Huh?

"Nevermind..." he sighed.

"Get out of my house. NOW. Get out of Winterdale and get out of my LIFE!" a man yelled.

"But what about Lizzie?"

"She'll get over it!!"

Mewtwo blinked. "Yeaaaahhh... As I said... Honorable profession... No doubt about it..."

Mew threw a pillow at him. I'll have you know that 'Saving Grace' is a _wonderful_ soap opera!

"Yeah... Wonderful... Certainly...."

Why YOU!

...I take it this is a bad time to ask about the rumors? Pikachu quipped from the doorway.

"What rumors?" Mewtwo asked.

The ones about Mew seeing the future, Pikachu explained. Or at least Ash's future. Or past. Or whatever the heck it is.

"Oh. Well, I believe she is having dreams about Ash's future indeed. But she might not be limited to this dimension. She may see alternate dimensions, or even create them in the presence of outside stimulus. There are an infinite number of universes, you know, at least they think so. I believe it's called Renna's Theory of Alternate Universes..."

...Huh?

"Well, in different universes, anything can happen and does. Some universes in theory would be indiscernible from ours... Others, incredibly different."

Like how?

Mewtwo was about to reply when the front door flew open. Mewtwooo! Lugia yelled. It's those drunk guys who look exactly like us again!!

"...Like that!" Mewtwo exclaimed.

Oh, now I get it! Thanks!

"No problem... Now, where do we send those guys to again?..."

I think you said 68-83-12... Even though that's the supermarket, it always seems to get them home...

"Ah. Thank you."

Too bad they're always too drunk when they get here to remember never to do it again, Mew commented.

Okaaaaayyy... Hey, wait a sec! I have a rumor! I HAVE A RUMOR! For the first time in my life I have a RUMOR to spread!! Wheeeeee! Pikachu cried and ran off.

Mewtwo...Just make them leave, okay? That other me always gives me the creeps.

So Lugia, long time no see! Mew chirped. Did you know I'm the head writer of a soap opera?

Lugia blinked. Mewtwo? Is Mew all right?

"Unfortunately, yes...."

Cool!!

"ACK!"

~*~

"Okay," Ash said, taking a deep breath. "Moment of truth. How dead am I?"

He altered his worried expression to a bright smile as the Cerulean City Joy came on the line. "Hi Nurse Joy!"

"Oh, hi Ash!" Joy chirped. "I'm so glad you're back!"

"Thanks! Just sorry I couldn't reappear sooner!"

I _told_ you.

"Shush, Pikachu."

"Oh, I hope you still have a Pokemon with Fly," Joy said, suddenly worried. 

"Yeah..." Ash said. "Three, actually..."

Once we go harass Professor Oak, yeah.

"That's wonderful!" Joy cried. "Well, I'll see you in a week, then, Ash. Goodbye!"

The line clicked off.

What did she _mean_ you'll see her in a week? Pikachu asked, puzzled.

"Yo, Loser--eh--"

"Gary! You'll never believe it!" Ash cried. "Tracey has TACT!!"

"_Tact_? TRACEY?!"

"I guess everyone has hidden facets!"

"You'd know." Gary rolled his eyes. "But seriously, Tracey has tact? How can you tell?"

Ash grinned. "If he didn't, Joy would've commented on the whole Mew thing."

"You mean, Joy _knows_? Already?! I've only known for thirteen hours!"

"Didn't you know? Professor Oak's the hub of the Kanto rumor mill. Tracey only told him that I'm back, luckily. Otherwise... I'd be in pretty deep."

"Mmmm..." Gary said, sipping some orange juice. "I guess so..."

"Says the guy who's caught more Legendary Pokemon than any other trainer in the League..."

He sputtered a bit. "You've heard about that?!"

"Hey, Johto has a _great_ news program."

"Realllllyyy..."

"Yeah. Wait a sec... There's something I forgot to ask Joy..."

"What?" Gary asked cautiously.

Ash looked out of the window. The whole small population of Pallet Town was out exchanging gossip. He watched as a woman whispered something to a friend. The friend gestured to the laboratory, wide-eyed, then collapsed on the ground laughing. 

"That answers it."

"Huh?"

"Remember Jenny? The girl whose Pidgey you made fun of all the time?"

"Yeah, a little."

"She's the one who _really_ hates you."

"Oh yeah!" Gary said, laughing nervously.

"And she's laughing her head off. She knows."

"Knows what?"

"You tell me. All I know is it's about you."

"Auggh..."

"ILLEGALLY ADOPTED!!!" Jenny screamed in laughter, her voice echoing throughout the town.

Ash blinked. "I'd be stunned, but I don't think anything can really stun me any more, short of maybe death. Want some pancakes?"

"Pancakes?!" Serena ran down the stairs. "Well why didn't ya say so?!"

"Y...You changed your hair," Gary commented.

"Yeah, Mom made me do it," she said, patting her bun nervously. A few shorter strands were let free of it to frame her face. "And did that crazy woman scream that you aren't even _legally_ our brother?"

Ash nodded, and Gary grinned evilly. "Yeah, and I've never been happier in my life!"

"Why YOU! Crazy--"

"Aw, kids, please don't fight!" Mrs. Ketchum cried. 

"Hey, we can all vote!" Serena cried. "Well actually, I still haven't registered, but I could vote if I tried to!"

Gary chuckled. "Reaaaallllyyy?"

"Oh shuddup--er--what's your name again?"

Ash sweatdropped. "I love you, you love me, we're a great big family..."

"With a great big hug and a--" Mrs. Ketchum continued.

"Aaaaaggh!" Gary cried. "Extreme mental anguish! Aaaaah!"

Mrs. Ketchum blinked. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"Jerk," Serena muttered.

I like him! Arti-chan suddenly tossed in.

I have a feeling you're not the only one... Diana said, with an evil bird grin. 

"WHAT?!"

Ash blinked. "I did not hear that. I simply did not hear that. I am going to Professor Oak's to get my Pokemon, not because of something someone said, because no one said anything. Riiiiggghttt?"

"...You need help, Ketchum..."

"So do you. See ya!"

Serena sighed at the closing door. "I should ask what is the deal with you two, but I don't want to know and I'll probably find out anyways."

"Yeah, probably," Gary said. "Let's just go have some pancakes."

"Sounds like a good idea to me."

~*~

"Finally!" Mewtwo cried. "The one storyline I can _stand_!"

Mew blinked. You _like_ Harley and Gus?

"Who?"

The woman with the short blonde hair and the dirty Mexican-looking guy.

"Better than this whole stupid Beth/Lorelei thing. Honestly, she _looks_ like her, _writes_ like her, even _acts_ like her to some extent. How can they be this bloody stupid?!"

I didn't think it was stupid...

"Er..."

Well, they're _supposed_ to be stupid.

"Yeah, you're right. And by the way--how _did_ you get away with using the name Lorelei? Isn't that one of the Elite Four people?"

She legally changed her name after the Celadon Scandal. Calls herself Prima now.

"Celadon Scandal?"

Yeah. A few years back, Lorelei was accused of running a bella-mafia scheme with Erika. Apparently, they did the _works_--stealing, importing, fraternization with Team Rocket...

"Erika?!"

Yep. They were acquitted--the evidence room mysteriously burned down. But Lorelei changed her name after that. I don't know how you could've missed that, it was a _huge_ scandal! There are even rumors that some song called 'The Night the Lights Went Out in Kanto" is based on something she did.

"Whoa. I never heard of that."

It's all been hushed up by now.

"Then how did you hear of it?"

When I submitted the name Lorelei for that character, the secretary sent me a pile of news articles for no apparent reason...

"Fascinating."

I thought so too--oh darn, we missed the end!

"Hallelujah, no more till Monday!!" Mewtwo cried. "Er, I mean, oh darn!"

Heeeyyy! I oughta--

"Ack!" Mewtwo yelled and ran.

~*~

"Nice to see you again, Ash... Now which Pokemon do you want back?" Professor Oak asked.

In the background, Tracey was checking the Pokeballs and marking something off on the chart he carried.

"Hmmm...Bulbasaur definitely," Ash said.

"Tracey! 4-823!" Professor Oak called.

After a second of looking, Tracey found the Pokeball and tossed it to the Professor.

"I haven't seen Kingler in a long time..."

"Tracey! 4-767!"

"Pidgeot could use some activity too..."

"Tracey! 5-002!"

"Cyndaquil would help with the balance..."

"Tracey! 4-697!"

"And...Hmmm..." Ash bit his lip. Heracross might cause a problem, with Bulbasaur along. Professor Oak was probably still observing Noctowl...And was he even allowed to have another? Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Kingler, Pidgeot, and Cyndaquil made five, but counting himself... But he couldn't count himself, now, could he?

"What do you think, Pikachu?"

Pikachu cocked his head. Well, I don't think we can handle Chikorita right now. Or Muk, for that matter.

"It's not like I'll be in any battles... Maybe I'll just take five," he said.

"Sounds good to me," Professor Oak said, signaling to Tracey that he could go about his work. "Nobody should challenge you at a wedding."

"What?! Wedding? What wedding? WHOSE wedding?!" Ash cried.

"Pikaaaa!"

"Didn't you hear? Your friend Brock's getting married to Nurse Joy, the one from Viridian."

"Brock's getting married?!"

I can't believe it! Pikachu cried. She really _was_ serious about him!

"Gosh, _everyone's_ showing a hidden facet today!" Ash said. 

"Well hey there, little fellow," Tracey said to an Eevee in a pen, reaching down to pet it. "How are you--OOOWWW!"

"You know, Ash..." Oak said. "I'm really glad to see you back. We were all really worried about you."

"AAAAHHH!" Tracey screamed, running around frantically, trying to dislodge the Eevee that was attached to his hand.

"Yeah... I know. I'm just sorry I couldn't call or something." Ash grinned sheepishly.

"Hellllllllpppp!!!!!" Tracey screamed, running behind Oak again.

"That's okay, I understand. If you could have called, you would. We all know that."

"AAAAAGGGHHH!!" Tracey screamed, running the other way.

"Tracey?" Ash asked. "Why is there an Eevee biting your hand?"

"Oh no, not again!" Oak cried. "How many times do I have to tell you, the Pokemon in the pens are undergoing therapy! They're liable to attack you if you disturb them!"

"Just get it _off_ me, pleeaaase!!"

"Oh, _fine_... Ash, this is going to be a bit messy. You might want to leave..."

"Okay," Ash said, backing toward the door. "Bye Professor, see you later."

"Now next time, don't pet it!"

"Why would I do it _again_?"

"Maybe because this has happened TWELVE TIMES?!"

"Oh yeah..."

~*~

"Okay, time to face the music," Ash said nervously, stopping in a clearing. "Again."

Trust me, they will _not_ all faint.

"You'd better be right... Pidgeot, Cyndaquil, Kingler, Bulbasaur, I choose you!"

The Pokemon emerged, blinking a bit, getting re-oriented to the outside world.

AAASSSSHHH!!! Pidgeot screamed.

"Aah!" Ash yelled happily as the Pokemon knocked him to the ground.

Where the heck have you been?! Bulbasaur demanded. It's been...Um... WAY too long!

I'm so glad you're back! Cyndaquil cried.

Kingler bubbled for a minute. ...There's something different about you. What-what?

Ash sweatdropped. "A lot. Y'see, it's actually been two years..."

TWO (&^$(&@&(^%)*$ YEARS?!

"Bulbasaur, please! There might be _kits_ in this forest!"

Well _I_ think it was justified... Pidgeot said.

"Probably. Anyway... Team Rocket kidnapped me."

WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!

"Eh heh...And it doesn't stop there..."

Oh boy, said Cyndaquil.

"Um... They kind of...er...turned me into a Pokemon."

WHAAAATTT????!!!!?!?

"I know, I know... And, eh, I'm kinda a cross between two species..."

This sounds good... Pidgeot commented dryly.

"Dratini..."

WOW! said Kingler.

"And Mew."

WHAAAAATTT?!!!?!!

"Eh heh...Oh by the way, Pikachu evolved and I have a sister."

At this point, everyone just stared at him.

And Misty has a boyfriend, Pikachu added. 

Everyone stared.

And Brock's getting married.

There was silence for a few seconds.

"I suppose I shouldn't say anything about Mew and Mewtwo..." Ash said.

Guys? You all right?

"Um... Are you okay?..."

Still there was silence. Pikachu walked over and tapped Pidgeot's side. He fell over and crashed into Kingler, who crashed into Bulbasaur, who crashed into Cyndaquil.

Needless to say that woke them up.

"SAAAAUUUURRRRRRRR!" Bulbasaur screamed, running around randomly trying to put himself out.

Pidgeot shook out its wing. Cyndaquil struggled to stand up, and Kingler bubbled.

Ash blinked, turning to Kingler. "Shall you or should I?"

Huh? Where are you? All I see are the pretty-pretty colors...

"Guess that answers my question..." Ash said, and water-gunned Bulbasaur. Then he moved on to Kingler and Pidgeot who seemed to need it too.

The battle's done and we kinda won so we sound our vict'ry cheer, Pidgeot sang, But tell me, where do we go from here?

"I've never heard that one."

Professor Oak has strange taste in television.

We go to his house, Pikachu answered. Hey, Ash's sister has a Pidgeot. A she.

Well why didn't y'tell meee? I like to know these things!

Oh boy, sighed Cyndaquil.

"So now... we go home," Ash said, with a smile.

~

"Ready?" James asked.

"Ready!" said everyone.

"Okay, Pidgeotto, let's go back to Viridian!"

"Geooooo!" it cried, lifting off.

Joy ran out of the Pokemon Center as it was flying into the sunset. "Waaaiit! They found Ash! Misty! Brock! Ash is back!"

But it was too late. They were too far off to hear. "Oh well," she sighed. "Viridian will tell them..."

~

"We're leaving _now_?!" Ash cried.

"All the Joys and Jennies who can will be there, Ash," Mrs. Ketchum explained. "We want a hotel, we'll have to get there early."

"Thanks for the warning..." Ash muttered.

"Come on, you guys, get packed. Mimey will teleport us right in front of the Pokemon Center."

"Viridian... It might be a nice town..." Serena mused.

"You've never been there?" Gary asked incredulously.

"Only underneath it."

Before he could ask, she was upstairs.

~*~


	6. Calling in Bets

Sunlight in Your Universe  
  
Chapter Six--Calling in Bets  
  
AN: Slightly shorter than the average SiYU, I know, but I reached a lovely ending place. I'm not sure how many chapters this will end up with--ten would be great, but I'm not sure. I meant to have next chapter in this chapter, but this turned out too long, so...Que sierra.   
  
I still don't own Pokémon. A lot of great stuff happens in the next chapter, so stay tuned! ^_^  
~  
Mewtwo walked by the doorway. He stopped, blinked, and went back.  
  
"Mew? What are you doing?"  
  
  
  
"Oh..." Mewtwo said. "Okay... You still dreaming about...?"  
  
  
  
"Well, yeah... So what's happening now?"  
  
Mew burst into a fit of giggles.  
  
"Um... Mew? You all right?"  
  
She just kept giggling.  
  
"Oh, forget it..."  
  
~  
  
Gary sighed, checking his watch. "What is _taking_ her so long?" he griped.  
  
"Don't look at me," Ash and Serena replied.  
  
"I wasn't."  
  
"Eh..."  
  
Pidgeot cried.  
  
  
  
Arti-chan giggled.  
  
Pidgeot sighed.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Diana blinked.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Arti-chan chirped.  
  
"Ready!" Mrs. Ketchum sang, skipping down the stairs.  
  
"Okay," Ash said. "How'll we get there?"  
  
"Mimey can teleport us."  
  
Gary looked skeptically at Mr. Mime, who at the moment was attempting to vaccum Pikachu. "Really?"  
  
"Yes! Mimey is perfectly competent!"  
  
At that moment, Pikachu was delivering a large Thunder attack to get Mimey to leave it alone.  
  
"Oh, you shouldn't worry," Serena broke in. "Ditzy Pokémon have the _scariest_ amount of luck. We'll get there."  
  
"How would _you_ know?"  
  
"Job experience. Silly Pokémon survive _everything."  
  
"Well, that explains Umbreon."  
  
"Naive?"  
  
"Just a little."  
  
"Where _is_ this Umbreon, anyway? You obviously have one."  
  
"With Joy in Viridian...Had to stay for a while..."  
  
"What'd you do to it?"  
  
"I didn't do anything to it! 'Sides, it's probably safer than a trip with Mimey here!"  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Yeah, sure, you didn't do _anything_..."  
  
"I'll have you know--"  
  
Pikachu raised an ear. "Chupikachu?"   
  
"Good idea," Ash sighed, as he listened to the busy arguement. "Doubt if they'll notice..."  
  
  
  
Diana cried.   
  
  
  
  
  
"We're betting over whether they'd notice a teleport?" Ash murmured.  
  
replied Pidgeot.  
  
"Ten bucks says it will."  
  
  
  
~  
  
"Calm down, Crystal!" Joy cried. "Now tell it to me again, maybe at just warp 2."  
  
"Okay, okay..." she said, breathing a trifle more slowly. "Brock--and Misty--and some other people are coming."  
  
"And what's the bad part?"  
  
"They don't know Ash has reappeared."  
  
"Oh, wow. Well, I can tell them."  
  
"Yes, but Cerulean said she told Mrs. Ketchum to get into town as early as possible. As in _today_."  
  
"Oh my, that is a problem. But hopefully they won't get here at the same time. I think we might have a little luck saved up. It'll be okay, Crys."  
  
"I'm not sure..."  
  
"Trust me--"  
  
A scream tore through the air. "Ohmigod! Crystal, I'll call you back!"  
  
"But--" was all she could say before her screen went black.  
  
"Chansey!" Joy screamed, running toward the sound.   
  
Chansey yelled back.  
  
She ran into the room. Chansey was doubleslapping a Scyther as hard as she could, standing protectively in front of a dark shape on the floor.   
  
"Scyther, return!!" Joy screamed. It did, but the ball shook dangerously. Chansey, in tune with Joy, threw her a roll of duct tape. Joy ran the tape around the ball at a furious speed. "Chansey, what happened?!"  
  
Chansey cried.   
  
Joy gasped, dropping to the floor in front of the bloody Umbreon. "Oh no," she breathed, checking for a pulse. "Oh God, oh God... Chansey, this is _bad_. Really bad. As in severe trauma they only spend an hour on in school because we'll never need it bad."  
  
  
  
"We'll have to take it to the hospital!"  
  
  
  
"We have to try!!" Joy yelled. "We stay here.. And Chansey, it's hopeless."  
  
  
  
"Right."  
  
~  
  
"--NEVER do anything to a Pokémon!!" Gary yelled as they appeared in Viridian.  
  
"Yeah, sure!"  
  
I win! Diana crowed.  
  
Pikachu sighed.   
  
  
  
"Well," Ash said, "We're here. Why don't we go see Nurse J--"  
  
"Out of the way!!" Joy screamed, bursting through the door.  
  
Serena took one look at the Pokémon and ran to Nurse Joy...Blocking Gary's view of the stretcher at the same time. "Whaddaya got?!"  
  
"A Scyther lost it, I can't treat it here, I don't have the experience!"  
  
"I do!"  
  
Joy stared. "You have experience with severe trauma in Pokémon?!"  
  
"Yeah, years' worth! Let me help, there's no way you're getting it anywhere in time!"  
  
"I know, but-- You really have experience? How?"  
  
"I'll tell you later--besides, can I do any harm?"  
  
Joy bit her lip. "All right. Come on. Tell me what you'll need..."  
  
Gary craned his neck, trying to see what was happening.  
  
"Oh look!" Ash cried. "A Pidgeotto!"  
  
"What?!" Gary looked reluctantly to where Ash was pointing. "I don't see _anything_, Ash."  
  
"She really has experience?" Mrs. Ketchum asked.  
  
"Yeah," Ash said. "She was the--"  
  
"Oh, there it is!" Gary said. "God, Ash, you have the worst aim--"  
  
"There is one?" He looked into the sky. "Oh, there is. Wait a sec... Someone's riding it."  
  
Gary squinted. "Look at the HAIR on that woman! It must be four feet long!"  
  
~  
  
"Are we _there_ yet?" Brock asked.  
  
"I don't know, I can't see anything except red..." Misty griped.  
  
"Hey, you're lucky I've changed to a braid," Jessie snapped. "Otherwise you'd be knocked off this bird before you could say--"  
  
"Oh look, there's the Pokémon Center!" James cried.  
  
"Thank God," Misty muttered. "I almost suffocated..."  
  
"I almost fell off, but no hard feelings!" Brock said.  
  
"Hmm...I wonder who those people are in front of the building..." James mused.   
  
Jessie pulled out a pair of binoculars. "Hey, it's the twerp!"  
  
"WHAT?!!!!" Misty screeched.   
  
"It's the twerp, I said! And some brown-haired kid, and I think that's his mom..."  
  
"Oh my God," Brock whispered.  
  
~  
  
Gary cocked his head. "Did you hear something?"  
  
"Yes," Ash squeaked, sounding slightly muffled. Perhaps it was becuase he was huddled up on the ground in atomic-bomb-drill position.  
  
"ASH KETCHUM!!!! IS THAT YOU DOWN THERE?!!"  
  
Gary sweatdropped. "Yeah, I guess you did hear something. You're smarter than I thought."  
  
With a loud cry, the Pidgeotto swooped down in front of them. As soon as Jessie, James, Meowth, Brock, and Misty had jumped off, it sighed in relief and shrank back to normal size.  
  
"ASH!" Misty and Brock yelled, running up to him.   
  
"Where the--"  
  
Diana plugged Arti-chan's ears.  
  
"Have you been for two--"  
  
  
  
"Years?! You could've--"  
  
  
  
"Called! We've been scared to DEATH, Ash! We thought you were DEAD!"  
  
"I didn't."  
  
"Well you're crazy, Brock."  
  
"We didn't."  
  
"You're Team Rocket, you don't count."  
  
"HEY!"  
  
"I _couldn't_ call, I was trapped in the Team Rocket base!" Ash cried, in an attempt to defend himself.  
  
"Yeah, he was," James said. "There's no way he could've called the first year."  
  
"And if I know the ex-boss, he's still looking for him," Jessie agreed. "I don't know why he's come back at all."  
  
"Pikachu made me," Ash sighed.  
  
Meowth looked at Pikachu. "Meowth owth owwwwth?"   
  
Pikachu explained.  
  
Meowth said.  
  
"What?" James asked.  
  
"151."  
  
"Oh," Jessie and James breathed in comprehension.  
  
Pikachu said with a laugh.  
  
Meowth explained.  
  
"Why would Team Rocket try to recapture you?" Misty asked. "Wouldn't it be a bit obvious and high-profile?"  
  
"Yeah, but he'd be worth it," Gary said, rolling his eyes.   
  
"Why?" Misty asked.  
  
"I told you, Misty," Brock said.  
  
"I don't believe it," she sniffed, tossing her head.   
  
"Believe what you like," Ash sighed, getting up. "Don't you have a _date_?"  
  
"H-how did you know?"  
  
"Pikachu," he said simply.  
  
"Oh...Of course... No, but he'll be here at the wedding... Don't act like a moron in front of him, okay?"  
  
"If I'm capable of that..." he sighed. "By the way, I found Serena. She's helping Nurse Joy. They'll be a while."  
  
"Darn, I guess that means it'll be a while before I can get Umbreon back..."  
  
"...Yeah..." Ash said.  
  
"Oh, that reminds me!" Jessie said. "Blissey, we're on the ground now!"  
  
A red beam of light shot through her backpack, forming Blissey on the other side.  
  
"Blissey hates walking, and flying," Jessie explained. "So I keep her in her Pokéball whenever we aren't in a town or at camp."  
  
"Sey!" Blissey cried, walking over to Diana and Arti-chan.   
  
  
  
  
  
Diana grinned.   
  
The tiny Articuno flapped over to Blissey, perching on her head.  
  
"We should go in," Brock said.  
  
"So, Brock, you finally got one!" Ash said, as they walked in.   
  
Pikachu slapped his head. He pulled out a notebook.   
  
"Hey!" Brock yelled.  
  
Ash shrugged. "Yell at her, we bet for you."   
  
Diana asked.  
  
"He went looking for his Umbreon when we got in..." James said.  
  
"Oh no," Ash breathed, and ran after him.  
  
"What?" Misty asked.  
  
Pikachu said.  
  
"Gary!" Ash yelled. Gary was looking through a wall of Pokéballs, not noticing the windowed door behind him.   
  
"Oh, hi, Ash," Gary said. "Can you help me find Umbreon? He should be here somewhere."  
  
Ash tried not to look at the door. "Why don't we just wait for Joy to finish?"  
  
"Ash, you of all people should understand, I _have_ to see Umbreon," Gary said.  
  
"Er, we'll find him! Maybe he's over here!"   
  
"Ash, what are you trying to pull?"  
  
Serena chose that moment to walk though the door. "Oh, hi, Ash, Gary..."  
  
Ash stared at her--*Well?*  
  
"Oh, the Pokémon's gonna do fine," Serena said, smiling. "In fact, thanks to Chansey's Softboiled, he'll be up in two hours."  
  
Ash sighed in relief.   
  
"Now can you help me find Umbreon?" Gary said impatiently.  
  
Joy came into the room. "Oh, hi, Gary, I suppose you're wondering about Umbreon."  
  
"Darn right!" he yelled.  
  
"Well, it was pretty rough there for a while. That Scyther dealt him a pretty bad blow--worse than I've ever seen, to tell the truth."  
  
Serena moaned, putting her head in her hand. Gary stared.   
  
"You mean...That was...Umbreon?"  
  
Joy nodded. "He should be up again in two hours. By tomorrow, he'll be walking about again a bit, and by the day after, he'll probably be just about good as new. Just no battles for a week or two, okay?"  
  
"Y--yes, of course!" Gary said.  
  
"You're lucky Serena came when she did. She has a disturbingly vast knowledge of emergency cases like this. I still want to know where you were taught," she said, turning to Serena.  
  
"Well... You know your... Mother's cousin's daughter's Chansey?"  
  
"Yes, she disappeared a long time ago. Why?"  
  
"She joined Team Rocket as a nurse. And that...That's where I learned all I know. Team Rocket. My father signed me up when I was four."  
  
"Oh my," Joy breathed.  
  
"Oh, Joy, Brock and everyone are here," Ash said.   
  
"Oh! Wonderful!" Joy left. Ash followed her. Serena started to leave as well, but Gary caught her wrist.  
  
"Ketchum...Serena...Thanks."  
  
"You're welcome," she said quietly. "You can see him in an hour. For now, let's go."  
  
They returned to the lobby.  
  
~   
  
"SHOPPING TIME!!"  
  
"Aaaaggghh!!" everyone screamed, covering their ears.  
  
"Oh dear, I'm sorry!" Mrs. Ketchum said. "I didn't mean to be so loud!"  
  
"Yeah...Mom..." Ash said, and fell over.  
  
"Why do we need to shop?" Serena asked.  
  
"Clothes for the _wedding_! For all of you! Except maybe Brock and Joy. And--" She sunk her voice to a whisper. "There's always presents."  
  
"OH!" Ash yelled, and slapped his head.   
  
"Y're bringing us along?" Meowth asked.  
  
"Of course," Mrs. Ketchum said. "Why not? It's not like you're in Team Rocket or anything."  
  
They sweatdropped. "No... No we aren't..."  
  
"Then let's _go_!" Mrs. Ketchum cried, and literally dragged them out.  
  
"...Bye!" Joy said.  
  
Brock shrugged. "My family's crazier."  
  
"BROCK!!"  
  
"Agh!" they yelped as a sea of children crashed in.  
  
~ 


End file.
